Tag: Ashok Leyland

  • Celebrating mums with love, laughter, and a sprinkle of sustainability

    Celebrating mums with love, laughter, and a sprinkle of sustainability

    MUMBAI: Mother’s Day 2025  (11 May 2025) is turning into a celebration spree as brands across sectors poured their hearts into campaigns that were equal parts fun, heartfelt, and memorable. Whether it was through tasty treats, chaotic family moments, or poignant life lessons, this year’s Mother’s Day ad blitz was a masterclass in connecting with the audience.

    Blue Tribe Foods: A plant-powered party with a purpose

    At Avi Smart Park, Andheri West, Blue Tribe Foods turned Mother’s Day into a celebration of sustainability and deliciousness. The brand, known for its plant-based food products, brought together over 100 guests—mums, kids, influencers, and celebrities—for a fun-filled evening of guilt-free indulgence.

    Nikki Arora Singh, Co-founder of Blue Tribe Foods, led the event, personally engaging with guests and sharing the brand’s mission of making sustainable food choices a part of everyday life. Her warm presence added a personal touch, making attendees feel welcome and connected to the brand’s ethos.

    Guests were treated to a mouth-watering selection of Blue Tribe’s plant-based delights, including crispy nuggets, juicy kebabs, flavour-packed soya chaap, and sweet potato fries. The spread was a hit, especially among the kids, who kept coming back for more. But the event wasn’t just about eating—it was about learning.
    In a clever twist, Blue Tribe hosted a colourful puppet show for the youngest guests, using playful characters to teach them about sustainability and the impact of their food choices. Kids laughed, clapped, and—without even realising it—learned how they could help save the planet one bite at a time.

    The event’s star power was elevated by the presence of celebrities like singer and actor Shweta Pandit and TV actress Jaswir Kaur, who added glamour to the evening. But at its heart, the event was a community gathering—an opportunity for Blue Tribe to showcase its commitment to a greener future while creating lasting memories for mums and kids alike.
    Pepperfry

    Pepperfry: celebrating the lovable chaos of family life

    Furniture and home decor giant Pepperfry took a different route, leaning into the sweet chaos of family life with its Mother’s Day campaign titled Trying to Get It Right.  The ad, a humorous and heartwarming slice of family life, captures a classic scene: a well-meaning dad and his enthusiastic kids attempting to give mum the perfect Mother’s Day experience.

    The film begins with the young son proudly announcing “the plan” for the day—a perfect breakfast in bed (which quickly turns into a mess), a no-mess afternoon (that’s anything but), and a veggie-loaded dinner (with a side of drama). But as the dad and kids stumble through their well-intentioned efforts, it becomes clear that perfection is not the goal—love is.

    Pepperfry smartly weaves its products into the storyline—from the stylish breakfast table used for the morning surprise to the elegant crockery and plush silk pillow covers that subtly elevate each scene. The message is clear: it’s not about getting everything right—it’s about trying, together.

    The ad’s relatable humour, combined with a heartfelt message, struck a chord with families, making it a memorable and shareable Mother’s Day moment.

    Ashok Leyland: honouring the quiet strength of mothers

    Ashok Leyland, the commercial vehicle giant, took a more profound approach with its Mother’s Day campaign, celebrating the quiet heroism of mothers—their unwavering dedication, resilience, and protective spirit. 

     The campaign used powerful storytelling to draw a parallel between the strength of mothers and the reliability of Ashok Leyland vehicles.

    The film opens with simple, everyday scenes of mothers silently supporting their families—packing lunch boxes, staying up late to help with homework, ensuring everyone is safe on the road. As the narrative unfolds, the connection becomes clear: just as Ashok Leyland’s vehicles keep people safe and secure on the road, mothers are the silent guardians of their families.

    The campaign balances emotional storytelling with a clear brand message, making it a tribute to both mothers and the brand’s core values of dependability and strength.

    Nova Dairy: nostalgia in every sip with #GlassFullofLove

    Nova Dairy chose to celebrate Mother’s Day with a splash of nostalgia through its #glassfulloflove campaign. The campaign invites users to share their favourite memories of mums making them drink their daily glass of milk—an experience that almost every Indian child can relate to.

    Running from May 11 to May 13, the campaign encourages participants to post photos or reels of their cherished milk memories on social media, using the hashtag #GlassFullofLove. The most touching entries will be featured on Nova Dairy’s Instagram page, with the best one taking centre stage.

    For Nova Dairy, the campaign isn’t just about promoting a product—it’s about celebrating the everyday acts of love that mothers perform. It’s a reminder that sometimes the simplest gestures, like ensuring kids drink milk, are the ones that leave the deepest impact.

    Ravin Saluja, Director of Sterling Agro Industries Ltd, summed it up perfectly: “Mothers have always been the cornerstone of our families, ensuring our well-being with simple acts of love, like reminding us to drink our daily glass of milk. Through this campaign, we aim to celebrate these everyday moments that hold a special place in our hearts.”

    Kotak Life’s Viraasat: the quiet legacy of a mother’s wisdom

    Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance struck an emotional chord with its Viraasat campaign, a tribute to the priceless lessons mothers pass down to their children. Conceptualised in collaboration with creative partner Wondrlab, the campaign moves away from sentimental clichés and instead celebrates the everyday wisdom that becomes a mother’s true legacy.

    The film beautifully captures how mums teach life’s most important lessons—not through grand speeches but in quiet, consistent actions. Whether it’s the habit of saving money, the value of honesty, or the importance of resilience, these lessons shape who we become.

    “A mother’s true legacy lies in the way she shapes hearts and minds. Her values don’t just stay with us—they become us,” said Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance CMO Ashish Nair. With its poignant storytelling and relatable theme, the Viraasat campaign resonates deeply, reminding viewers that the greatest inheritance we receive isn’t wealth—it’s wisdom.

    Siyaram’s: The only call that matters

    Siyaram’s brought a tear to many eyes with its campaign, which emphasised that in a world of constant notifications, a mother’s call is the one we can’t ignore. The film’s honest storytelling and real-life situations made it a moving tribute to maternal love.

    Heritage Foods: Learning over winning

    Heritage Foods embraced the nurturing power of mothers with ‘The Power of Learning over Winning.’ The campaign highlighted how mums teach values, patience, and growth over medals, reminding us that real success is measured in life lessons.

    Nissan India: Unstoppable mums

    Nissan Motor India’s campaign was a tribute to the spirit of modern mums who balance countless roles — from being caregivers to achievers. The film shattered stereotypes, showing real mums who are confident, resilient, and unapologetically themselves.

    Navneet Education: Mums as first teachers

    Navneet’s campaign celebrated mothers as the first and most important teachers. The film beautifully captured quiet, everyday moments where mums taught their children — from school lessons to life skills — proving that learning begins at home.

    Sujata Appliances: #MaaToWohBhiHai

    Sujata Appliances honoured not just biological mothers but also nannies, caregivers, and women who mother in spirit through their #MaaToWohBhiHai campaign. It was a heartfelt tribute to the unsung heroes who nurture without the title.

    From Blue Tribe Foods’ plant-powered celebration to Nova Dairy’s nostalgic milk memories, from Pepperfry’s humorous chaos to Kotak Life’s heartfelt wisdom—this year’s Mother’s Day campaigns were a masterclass in creative storytelling. Brands didn’t just advertise—they connected, celebrated, and left a mark.

  • Saugata Gupta stays at the crease as Marico extends CEO term to 2028

    Saugata Gupta stays at the crease as Marico extends CEO term to 2028

     MUMBAI: Still calling the shots, and how. Saugata Gupta is set for another two-year season at the helm of Marico Limited, with the FMCG major’s board approving his reappointment as managing director and CEO till March 2028.

    Having joined the company back in 2004 as head of marketing, Gupta’s rise has been nothing short of a masterclass in brand leadership. From captaining the India business in 2007 to taking the reins as CEO in 2013 and MD in 2014, he’s led the Parachute-to-Set Wet empire through market winds with a steady hand and sharp instincts.

    The boardroom decision, made on 2 May 2025, and filed with the stock exchanges the same day, means Gupta will notch up nearly 14 years as MD & CEO by the end of this renewed term, an impressive feat in an industry known for its churn.

    Outside of Marico, Gupta also wears several advisory hats, serving as an independent director on the boards of Delhivery, Ashok Leyland, and formerly JSW Paints. His career before Marico included stints with ICICI Prudential and Mondelēz, lending him a marketing pedigree as rich as the brands he’s built.

    With this extension, Marico’s leadership continuity seems sealed and set, as Gupta continues to script the brand’s next chapter in a fast-evolving consumer landscape.

  • Brands tap into kindness & empathy, as Covid takes a toll

    Brands tap into kindness & empathy, as Covid takes a toll

    Mumbai: Nothing about our lives or the world we dwell in today is like what we knew it to be, till a little more than a year ago. This is perhaps a good enough incentive for brands and advertisers to adapt to the present world – Not ignore the elephant in the room and accept the irrevocable, undeniable truth of our reality today. After all, how long can the advertising world remain oblivious to the devastating changes brought by Covid-19 all around us.

    Here are some brand campaigns which have chosen to take a different route as we endure a global pandemic. They have chosen to embark on the route of empathy, kindness, and most important of all, humanity:

    Facebook India | More Together Hum Aaj Ek-duusre ka saath denge, toh ek behtar kal zaroor hoga. #MoreTogether

    The campaign captures the grief and sense of loss many of us have gone through because of the devastation caused by Covid. However, it does not dwell on the grief for long, portraying brilliantly how a personal tragedy can transform an ordinary person into a do-gooder. While all of us watch out for the wellbeing of our loved ones, it’s only a few special ones who look out for others- not their own. It is this extraordinary message that Facebook’s latest ‘More together’ campaign brings out poignantly while also driving in the need to vaccinate oneself and the community we live in to make a safer world. The film succeeds in conveying a sense of hope and a sense of being in this together during these bleak times.

    SBI Life Insurance: SBI Life #MummyKahanHain 

    The creative portrays a day in the life of a family in the new normal during the pandemic. It shows through the eyes of a child how she is initially upset to not have her working mom cater to her needs while at home, as the mother is busy working from home. For children, their mother is their sanctuary, and “#Mummy Kahan Hain” is the constant query thrown at the other members of the household if she’s missing for a moment. The heart-warming ad wonderfully depicts how during this pandemic, kids learned to adapt to ways of the new normal, and for every time that they asked #MummyKahanHain, they also realized the many hats a mother dons working from and for home. By the end, the child learns to truly understand and appreciate how a mother has an identity separate from motherhood.

    Ariel’s ad of a transgender doctor Priya #MakeItPossible

    Tough times never last, tough people do. Ariel’s new ad narrates the inspiring true story of Kerala’s first Transgender Doctor, V.S. Priya. Growing up in a conventional household and having lived all her life as a male, Dr. Priya took the bold and life-altering decision of embracing her feminine identity. Challenged by societal norms and stereotyped gender roles in families, she lived as a man for almost 30 years. Now, as Kerala’s first transgender doctor, she wants to be known for her work and is a beacon of hope not only for all transgendered people who want to be known for what they do but for everyone who continues to battle the odds and face impossible challenges. @Ariel India has been championing the cause of gender equality and celebrates these heroes who overcome the odds to #MakeItPossible.

    TATA Steel Apno Ke Liye Aage Badho

    It’s been just over a year since the pandemic changed our lives forever. While every festival that comes around brings a semblance of warmth and cheer, we need to remember the people who have lost their loved ones to this deadly nemesis. This film by TATA Steel celebrates and pays homage to the Covid warriors- those doctors and health workers who sacrificed their lives in the larger need of humanity. It reminds their loved ones to not stop living in their absence and celebrate the indomitable human spirit that fights against all odds and keeps moving ahead. 

    Ashok Leyland  #AapkiJeetHamariJeet

    One of the lessons the pandemic has taught us is the power and value of kindness of strangers. Ashok Leyland made a touching ad dripping with warmth, that shows how every celebration begins with caring and sharing. The film shows two people stuck up on a deserted road, with one of the person’s car breaks down. The video beautifully shows how sometimes it is important to rise to the occasion and go beyond one’s calling- purely in the name of humanity, empathy, and compassion. The underlying message being ‘Let us together spread positivity and goodwill.’ 

    Colgate – Smiles always find a way

    To sign off, here is a brilliant but simple concept by a brand that sells its product by displaying models with gorgeous smiles with the perfect set of teeth. However, in this International print ad, the brand chooses to demonstrate how truly warm smiles do not always need a perfect set of teeth. That, in fact, one can smile most warmly even by having a mask cover one’s face – the smile will find it through one’s eyes. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, face masks have become a part and parcel of our everyday lives. Gradually, we have got used to living with our smiles hidden behind a piece of cloth. But this Colgate print campaign, conceptualized by French agency VMLY&R, brilliantly conveys how you don’t need to see a smile to feel it. That a smile is more than just a curve- it’s a way of standing up and dealing with the adversities life throws at you. “Smiles always find a way”

    Brands have an opportunity to shape a better, more accepting, and humane world and ads such as these hit us at a deeper level to be so. They go beyond mere advertising. And every effort accelerates a change, one step at a time. 

  • Brands wish Eid Mubarak with messages of hope & togetherness

    Brands wish Eid Mubarak with messages of hope & togetherness

    MUMBAI: Eid ul-Fitr means the occasion of breaking the fast- the day that marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan for Muslims around the globe. This year, more than anything else, the occasion serves as a great reminder to be grateful for what we have and to share with those who may be less fortunate than us.

    Here are a few campaigns that are sure to bring some festive warmth and optimism into these grim times:

    Facebook India | More Together. Hum aaj ek-duusre ka saath denge, toh ek behtar kal zaroor hoga. #MoreTogether

    While all of us watch out for the wellbeing of our loved ones, it’s only a few special ones who look out for those not their own. It is this extraordinary message of looking out for others that Facebook’s latest ‘More together’ campaign brings out beautifully in the backdrop of the Eid ul-Fitr festival.

    The film poignantly conveys hope and a sense of community, sending out the message that if each of us watch out for the other, it would be such a wonderful world.

    Kotak Mutual fund shared a real-life inspiring story of Shahnawaz Shaikh on the occasion and inspire others to follow suit:

    “For Shahnawaz Shaikh and his team, this Eid is about taking care of the community. Kyonki #MadatHiIbadatHai #EidMubarak

    They have been doing their part in the month of ibadat by providing oxygen cylinders to #Covid patients. We applaud their noble deed & wish all of you a safe and blessed Eid.”

    Amul released one of its popular topicals to mark the festive occasion of Eid ul Fitr with the creative ‘Eid together, Eat together- Break Fast, Start Feast’:

    Ashok Leyland made a touching film dripping with warmth, that shows how every celebration begins with caring and sharing:

    OYO stressed the importance of vaccination, through its creative messaging: “The Eidi we all need “ #EidMubarak

    #VaccinAid #StaySafe

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by OYO (@oyorooms)

    Tide India shined a light on those who make this Eid brighter for everyone with the words, “Celebrating everyone who went above and beyond to make the holy month of Ramadan brighter! Eid Mubarak.”

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by Tide India (@tide.india)

    McDonald’s creatively depicted the brand’s softie ice cream bitten into, to form the shape of the crescent moon saying, “This Eid, stay safe and celebrate with your loved ones at home.

    Mother Diary talked about coming out stronger together through the darkness with its Eid creative: “May this Eid brings us to hope that we see the light at the end of this and come out stronger!”

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by Mother Dairy (@motherdairy)

    IT giant, Wipro Limited shared wishes on the occasion: “This year, may the end of Ramadan bless you with lots of positivity, courage, and strength to get through the tough times. Wipro Limited wishes Eid Mubarak to all! Stay safe, stay home. #Eid2021 “

    MTR Food Pvt Ltd wished Eid Mubarak to urge everyone to stay home and safe: “MTR wishes you, Eid Mubarak! This Eid, enjoy soft, perfect, and sweet Gulab Jamuns made with MTR- India’s No.1 Gulab Jamun Mix”

    Kansai Nerolac Paints creative spread festive cheer with a dose of care: “This Eid, may the crescent moon shine upon you and your loved ones with blessings of harmony and care.” #Nerolac #ColoursThatCare #EidMubaarak

    Starbucks India and MG India also shared creatives posts on the occasion:

    Attachments area

    Preview YouTube video Ashok Leyland | A Celebration of Sharing | Ramadan 2021 Ashok Leyland | A Celebration of Sharing | Ramadan 2021

  • The Social Street beefs up leadership team

    The Social Street beefs up leadership team

    MUMBAI:The Social Street is making significant investments in its senior leadership team. The agency has roped in Shonali Sharmaa as the managing partner for the experiential business vertical and Shilov Mani as the senior vice president in planning. Both the senior executives will report to Mandeep Malhotra and will be based in Mumbai.

    The Social Street CEO and founding partner Mandeep Malhotra said, “Both of them come with exceptional capabilities and inherent understanding of brands, markets and consumers.”

    Sharmaa added, “We have heard it for years; collaborate, work together, integrate. Yet, we still seem to push our clients agenda, be it in digital, activation, retail, OOH, et al in silos. My aim is to have ‘One seamless thought process across media’ to make The Social Street the most effective marketing communications agency.”

    Mani said, “What drew me to The Social Street was Pratap and Mandeep’s vision to build a future-ready agency.”

    Sharmaa has 15 years of experience in experiential marketing. She has worked with agencies like Ogilvy, Bates, among others, as an integrated marketing specialist and has built the requisite skill set and experience to lead from strength to strength. She has serviced clients in telecom (Idea, Vodafone, Motorola, Samsung), FMCG (Pepsi, Cadbury’s) and Media (National Geographic, Discovery Networks).

    In his 16 years of work-experience, Mani has spent five years in supply chain management, working with Mahindra and Total Fina Elf, before joining Ogilvy & Mather handling media buying, planning and client servicing. He moved to the DDB Mudra Group to handle their OOH, activation, events and retail executions. Mani has won numerous awards at MAA, PMAA, Abbies, Effies, Emvies, OAC and WoW. He has worked with clients such as HUL, HSBC, HT, Ashok Leyland, ITC, Uninor, HCC, Idea, among others.

  • The Social Street beefs up leadership team

    The Social Street beefs up leadership team

    MUMBAI:The Social Street is making significant investments in its senior leadership team. The agency has roped in Shonali Sharmaa as the managing partner for the experiential business vertical and Shilov Mani as the senior vice president in planning. Both the senior executives will report to Mandeep Malhotra and will be based in Mumbai.

    The Social Street CEO and founding partner Mandeep Malhotra said, “Both of them come with exceptional capabilities and inherent understanding of brands, markets and consumers.”

    Sharmaa added, “We have heard it for years; collaborate, work together, integrate. Yet, we still seem to push our clients agenda, be it in digital, activation, retail, OOH, et al in silos. My aim is to have ‘One seamless thought process across media’ to make The Social Street the most effective marketing communications agency.”

    Mani said, “What drew me to The Social Street was Pratap and Mandeep’s vision to build a future-ready agency.”

    Sharmaa has 15 years of experience in experiential marketing. She has worked with agencies like Ogilvy, Bates, among others, as an integrated marketing specialist and has built the requisite skill set and experience to lead from strength to strength. She has serviced clients in telecom (Idea, Vodafone, Motorola, Samsung), FMCG (Pepsi, Cadbury’s) and Media (National Geographic, Discovery Networks).

    In his 16 years of work-experience, Mani has spent five years in supply chain management, working with Mahindra and Total Fina Elf, before joining Ogilvy & Mather handling media buying, planning and client servicing. He moved to the DDB Mudra Group to handle their OOH, activation, events and retail executions. Mani has won numerous awards at MAA, PMAA, Abbies, Effies, Emvies, OAC and WoW. He has worked with clients such as HUL, HSBC, HT, Ashok Leyland, ITC, Uninor, HCC, Idea, among others.

  • NDTV Car & Bike Awards are back with their 9th edition

    MUMBAI: The coveted NDTV Car & Bike Awards are back with their 9th edition, scheduled to be held at the Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi on Monday, January 13, 2014. Presented by Mobil1, the Awards will once again honour the best cars and bikes in the country’s vibrant automobile sector and give recognition to the minds and the efforts behind their success.

     

    The NDTV Car & Bike Awards have emerged as the most credible automobile industry awards that have created a niche for themselves in the sector and among automobile aficionados. The 9th edition will felicitate 35 most deserving winners across various categories. A new category has been introduced, the ‘CNB Visioneer Award’ that will acknowledge outstanding contribution to the Indian Automobile Industry.

     

    Announcing the 9th edition of the awards, Siddharth Vinayak Patankar, Editor -Auto & Head Automobile Programming, NDTV said, “It has been quite a journey and I am very proud that we have now completed 10 years of CNB on the NDTV Network. The fact that the CNB awards are now recognised as most credible across the automobile industry is a matter of great pride for us at NDTV. We are very happy with the anticipation around this year’s edition, and I too cannot wait to find out who will be going home with the coveted trophies on awards night.”

     

    He further added, “The 9th edition of our own independent and trusted automobile awards will once again establish a set of credible winners – chosen by an eminent jury comprising the best names in the business. I am equally excited as always by the annual Viewers’ Choice category. The hundreds of thousands of votes as always represent our most valued viewers and what they believe are the best products of the year.”

     

    Car and Two Wheeler of the Year awards will take the top honours while the CNB Viewers’ Choice Awards gives viewers the exciting opportunity to vote for their favourite car and bike nominees and stand a chance to take the year’s hottest wheels home. The CNB Viewers’ Choice category has already received over twenty thousand votes through online and mobile messages and the numbers are growing every hour.

     

    To ensure a fool proof and fair selection process, each Jury member assesses and awards each nominee in complete isolation to other jurors. Each car and bike nominated is driven, evaluated and tested by the Jury along with a detailed research on each nominee’s specifications; its market performance and its immediate competition also being provided to them. Tabulators at Ernst and Young monitor the entire process.

     

    An eminent Jury consisting of an expert panel of auto aficionados will select the winners of this year’s awards. These include Adil Jal Darukhanawala, Editor in Chief, Zeegnation; Aditya Patel, one of India’s brightest young racers; Dilip Chhabria, an eminent and internationally acclaimed automobile designer; Dhruv Behl, Founder and Managing Editor of AutoX; Gul Panag, known as much for being an auto enthusiast and biker, as her silver-screen avatar; Jens Meiners, based in Germany and in New York, Jens is one of the foremost international motor journalists; Kamlesh Patel, Former Rallyist and automobile enthusiast; Karun Chandhok, India’s youngest Formula One driver; Kushan Mitra, Managing Editor, Digital and New Projects of The Pioneer newspaper; Dr V Sumantran, currently the Non-Executive Vice Chairman at Ashok Leyland and Siddharth Vinayak Patankar; Editor – Auto & Head Automobile Programming, NDTV.

     

    The Awards also recognise Marketing, Advertising and Communication efforts of the players which contribute to any product’s success, with the CNB-AAA Awards. The categories in this include Best PR & Communications Team, Best Integrated Campaign, Best TV Commercial Two Wheeler & Four Wheeler categories and Brand Ambassador of the Year.

     

    The CNB AAA Awards Jury includes Raj Kamle, Managing Partner, StrawberryFrog, Vinod G Nair, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Clea PR, Sam Balsara, CMD, Madison Communications, Shruti Verma Singh, Consulting Editor, NDTV and Siddharth Vinayak Patankar; Editor – Auto & Head Automobile Programming, NDTV.

  • McCann makes senior level appointments at Bengaluru and Mumbai

    MUMBAI: IPG owned advertising agency McCann Erickson has made appointments at leadership positions in it Bengaluru and Mumbai offices.

    Vijay Jacob Parakkal has been roped in as McCann Bangalore general manager. Namrata Nandan who has spent three years heading the Bengaluru office which has key businesses like Britannia, ITC and TVS motors has been re-located to Mumbai and will now oversee the McCann Mumbai branch.

    Parakkal comes with an experience of close to two decades across India and Srilanka and in companies like Eveready, Bazee.com and Grey. He has worked on brands such as ITC, Bharti AXA, Sify, Ashok Leyland and UB Group.

    Anil Thomas is to continue as creative chief for McCann‘s entire South Operations.

    McCann Erickson executive chairman and CEO Prasoon Joshi said, “McCann has always embraced change and have welcomed new blood in the system. At the same time we take pride in providing exposure and opportunities for growth to our long time colleagues. Vijay and Namrata‘s new roles bear testimony to this philosophy and practice. I am positive that both our offices will further shine bright.”

  • Dhoni on board as Ashok Leyland’s brand ambassador

    Dhoni on board as Ashok Leyland’s brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: Marking a first in six decades, Hinduja Group‘s flagship brand Ashok Leyland has roped in Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand ambassador. This move is part of the company‘s plan to gain share in the commercial vehicle business.

    Ashok Leyland is the second largest commercial vehicle company in India with a market share of around 22 per cent and turnover of Rs 111.18 billion in 2010-11.

    The Indian skipper’s endorsement will be backed by a multi-media campaign across all markets and addressing all customer segments.

    Ashok Leyland MD Vinod K. Dasari said, “Mahi‘s choice was almost automatic for I cannot think of another person befitting the values of brand Ashok Leyland so well. A true son-of-the-soil, a leader who is focused, straight-thinking, passionate and, most of all, humble, he will lead the numerous initiatives that are on the anvil. Our future-ready U-Truck range has already started to make its presence felt in the market with the 8×2 on the anvil. Our Jan Bus, the single-step, front engine fully flat floor bus will soon hit the market. We have also been aggressively expanding our market reach. We believe these efforts will help enhance customer profitability to a new level.”

  • Ashok Leyland consolidates media biz under DDB MudraMax

    Ashok Leyland consolidates media biz under DDB MudraMax

    MUMBAI: Hinduja-owned Ashok Leyland has consolidated all its media businesses so that the group benefits from a synergistic approach.

    The $2.5 billion company has decided to have DDB MudraMax as its sole media agency. After awarding the light commercial vehicles (LCV) account last year, it has announced today that the media duties of its heavy vehicles would also be handled by DDB MudraMax.

    The size of the new business is Rs 250 million. DDB MudraMax, the experience and engagement network of the DDB Mudra Group, will service the client from its Chennai office.

    Ashok Leyland – Heavy Vehicles head, brand and marketing communications Alok Saraogi said, “DDB Mudra Group did a great job of viewing our business imperatives from a category, business and brand perspective and brought a refreshing view to our challenges. Their strategy is insightful and impactful and we are pleased to assign our media business to DDB MudraMax. It also helps that we consolidate all media business for the overall benefit of the group.”

    The account was earlier serviced by Mindshare.

    “This is a prestigious win for us. With this alignment, DDB Mudra Max consolidates as the sole Media AOR for Ashok Leyland,” said DDB MudraMax Media president and head Sathyamurthy Namakkal.

    DDB Mudra Group COO Pratap Bose added, “This win comes on the back of Ashok Leyland awarding us their LCV business last year and it is indeed gratifying that our client has reposed their faith in us again.”

    Ashok Leyland manufactures commercial vehicles in India and has manufacturing units at seven locations – Chennai, Hosur (three plants), Alwar, Bhandara and Pantnagar (Uttarakhand). It has associate companies in the Czech Republic and the UAE and runs a joint venture in Sri Lanka. It exports vehicles to over 30 countries worldwide.